A lever-type corkscrew device—often called a wine key, wine opener, waiter's corkscrew, waiter's friend, sommelier corkscrew, wine corkscrew, cork puller, or corkscrew—is ever-present in both restaurant and home settings, and is a preferred tool for removing a cork stopper from a bottle of wine. Such lever-type corkscrew devices are well-known and oft-used to open corked wine bottles, in part because they require little effort to remove a cork from a bottle, and, in part because they are often compact enough to be easily carried, handled, and manipulated.
Lever-type corkscrews typically comprise a flat handle that is reminiscent of a pocket knife handle, a helical auger that is configured to screw into a cork, an extraction lever that rests on the rim of the wine bottle neck, and a pivot mechanism configured to allow the handle to be lifted for leverage in extracting the cork from the bottle. Some such corkscrews further comprise a bottle opener for a crown cork-type metallic bottle cap, as well as a knife-like blade for cutting and removing the foil seal that is typically found on wine bottles.
Corkscrews are often considered a collectible, due to the decorative aspects of the handle. As well, there are a variety of corkscrew designs that may offer advantage or interest, one over another. It is not uncommon that a user, restaurant, or household will have many corkscrews on-hand, given the typical, significant degree of use of such a device, and given that they are often small enough to be lost, misplaced, stolen, in-use, or being carried by a co-worker or family member.
Notwithstanding, it has been recognized that there are no known kits available for Do-It-Yourself woodworkers to customize their own wine key, allowing them to turn the handle on a lathe and, subsequently, to assemble the component pieces into a finished, customized wine key product.
As well, it has been recognized that improvements may be had over some of the typical functions and overall feel of a lever-type corkscrew.
Accordingly, it is to the disclosure of such wine key devices, as well as corresponding considerations and methods for part selection, manufacture, assembly, use, storage, and transport, that the following is directed.